Universally adjustable light socket



Feb 2, 1943. N. R. SCHWARTZ 09, 1

UNIVERSALLY ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOCKET Filed Oct. ,21, 1941 u H I1 Has.

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ATTOENEX Patented Feb. 2, 1943 barrenstares rarest caries UNIVERSALLY ADJUSTABLE LIGHT SOCKET Nathan Rodney Schwartz, New York, N. (Y. Application October 21, 1941, Serial No. 415,911

Claims.

This invention relates to electric light adapter sockets and more particularly to swivel units which may be secured to electric light fixtures. The present application is a continuation in part of an application originally filed on June 15, 1940, under Serial No. 340,76 and issued as Patent No. 2,263,317 on November 18, 1941. v

The principal object of this invention'is to provide a swivel unit which may be secured to an electric fixture such as a ceiling lamp, wall lamp or other such fixtures, by means of width the said fixture may be turned and firmly supported at any desired angle, up to 90 degrees, relative to its normal axis.

'Another aim of the present invention is to provide a swivel unit of this type, provided with means whereby the fixture to which it is attached, may be automatically retained in any of its adapted positions, and wherein the angular adjustment may be altered without the necessity of tools and without any effort.

A still further aim of the present invention resides in the provision of a swivel unit which may be secured to a conventional screw plug to be used in the conventional, well-known manner.

Yet another purpose of this invention resides in the provision of a swivel unit comprising a housing containing a ball having a conductor engaged therein, part of said conductor extending beyond the said housing, and means for securing said conductor either to a conventional plug or an electric light fixture.

These and other meritorious objects and advantages, which will become apparent as the description hereof proceeds, are achieved by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of few and simple parts, hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a material component of this disclosure, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of this invention, partly in section.

Figure 2 is an outside view of a modified form of this invention, showing a plug socket secured to a swivel unit.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of Figure 2, partly in section, the plug member being detached therefrom.

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of a swivel (Cl. 173-3d4) housing having substantially straight sides and a rounded top or upper portion, as is illustrated in the several figures of the drawing.

Completely enclosed in the housing l is a substantially spherical ball it provided centrally therethrough with a bore in which is entered a conductor, the upper portion or nipple-9 of which extends beyond housing I. Near its topsaid nipple Si is provided with internal threads 5 l and with a plurality of apertures iii, the purpose of which will presently be described.

The said conductor is provided with a central vertical bore [3 which is reduced at its inner end portion to form a shoulder I 4.

Through the reduced portion of said bore I3 passes a sleeve [5 provided with a head it having a slot to set on shoulder I l. The inner end portion of said sleeve I5 is threaded as at E5 to engage a bar ll on which rests a coiled compression spring 2|. Immediately below said bar H is another compression spring (not shown) and this spring rests on a washer (not shown in the drawing), said Washer being retained by a plurality of inreaching prongs 2 stamped out of the housing. Provided on the lower part of housing I is a conventional switch I8 andthe upper portion of said housing is provided with an open recess on one or more sides thereof, as at 3. Said recess 01" recesses reach from the apex of the housing to: a point or points therebelow.

The modification illustrated in Figures 2 to 6 inclusive is substantially as disclosed in Figure 1 except that nipple 9a need not be provided with inreaching threads. Nipple 9c is provided with a plurality of threaded openings 96.

On the upper side of ball I ll where the conductor enters the central bore in said ball, there are Provided a plurality of steps 22 to prevent the ball from turning on its axis, in the housing.

In operation, when it is desired to secure a swivel unit to a ceiling lamp, wall lamp or other like eleetricfixture, the device illustrated in Figure 1 is employed. The electric wires which are part of the fixture and which are designated in the drawing by the numeral 2'3, are drawn through the conductor, spring and bar and secured at the switch in the conventional manner. A stud, generally having external threads, which is a part of the light fixture, is thereupon threaded into the conductor, and may be retained in its position by passing a set screw through opening [2.

When a screw plug is to have a swivel unit attached thereto, a, screw plug of conventional construction is employed, having two electric wires, which are passed through the conductor, spring and bar, and which are then secured at the switch in the conventional manner. A fastening means is then passed through each opening in the plug and corresponding opening in the nipple to retain said plug and nipple in operative engagement, the number of fastening means to be employed depending upon the number of openings in plug and nipple.

The use of this device appears obvious in view of the now pending application of which this was originally a part and in which the swivel details of this invention are clearly defined.

There have here been illustrated and described the best known embodiments of this invention, but applicant does not desire to be restricted to the exact details shown, but rather reserves the right to make such changes in the construction as come within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed asnew and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A swivel unit for attachment to a support having electric wires extending therefrom, comprising a housing, a spherical swivel member retained therein, a conductor in said swivel member, said conductor comprising an upper member and a sleeve member, means formed with said upper member for retaining said sleeve member in said upper member, a compression spring in said swivel member to tensionally retain said sleeve member in frictional engagement in said swivel member, means secured at the lower end of said sleeve member for retaining said spring vertical bore, threads in said bore for engagement with the threads on said sleeve member, a compression spring on said bar to tensionally retain said conductor in frictional engagement in said ball, a passageway extending vertically through said conductor, spring and bar for the passage of electric wires therethrough, and means near the upper end of said conductor for attachment of the swivel unit to a support.

4. In combination with a screw plug having two electric wires extending therefrom, a swivel unit adapted to be secured to said plug, said swivel unit comprising a housing, an open recess in said housing extending from its apex to a point therebelow, a ball in said housing, said ball having a central vertical bore, a conductor in said ball, said conductor having a central vertical bore, a portion of said conductor extendin operative position, means near the upper end of said conductor for attachment of said swivel unit to asupport, and a central vertical bore in said conductor and spring for the passage of electric wires therethrough.

2. A swivel unit for attachment to an electric light fixture having electric wires extending therefrom comprising a housing, a spherical swivel member therein, a conductor adapted to pass through said swivel member, said conductor comprising an upper member and a sleeve member, said sleeve member having threads near its lower end, a bar having a central vertical bore, threads in said bore to engage the threads near the lower end of said sleeve member, a compression spring on said bar, threads at the upper end of said conductor for attachment of said swivel unit to a support, and a central vertical opening through said conductor and spring for the passage of electric wires therethrough.

3. A swivel unit for an electric lamp having electric wires extending therefrom, comprising a housing, a ball in said housing, said ball having a central vertical bore, a conductor in said ball, said conductor having a central vertical bore, said conductor comprising an upper member and a sleeve member, said upper member reduced near its lower end, said sleeve member engaging said upper member near the reduced end of said upper member, said sleeve member threaded at its lower end, a bar having a central ing upwardly beyond said housing, said conductor comprising an upper member and a sleeve member, said upper member having a reduced inner end portion, said sleeve member engaging said upper member at its reduced lower end, the central bore in said upper member reduced at its inner end to form a shoulder, a head on said sleeve for engagement on said shoulder, a bar having a central opening therein, means on the lower end portion of said sleeve to engage said bar, said sleeve extending through the opening in said bar, a spring on said bar to tensionally retain said conductor in frictional engagement in said ball, means near the upper end of said conductor to retain said plug in engagement with said conductor, said central openings in said conductor, spring and bar for the passage of electric wires therethrough.

5. In combination with a screw plug having two electric wires extending therefrom, a swivel unit for engagement with said plug, said swivel unit comprising a housing having a rounded upper portion, an open recess in said housing extending from its rounded upper portion to a point therebelow, a ball in said housing, said ball having a central vertical bore, a conductor in said bore, said conductor having a central vertical bore, the upper end of said conductor extending upwardly beyond said housing and adapted to be entered in said recess, said conductor comprising an upper member and a sleeve member, said upper member having a reduced inner end, said sleeve member retained in the reduced portion of said upper member, the central bore in said upper member reduced at its lower end to form a shoulder, a head on said sleeve for engagement on said shoulder, a bar having a central opening therein, means on the lower end portion of said sleeve to engage said bar, a spring on said bar to tensionally retain said conductor in frictional engagement in said ball, a ring in which said ball is seated, said ring having a gap for the passage of the electric wires, means near the upper end of said conductor to retain said plug in engagement with said conductor, the central openings in said conductor, spring and bar for the passage of the electric wires therethrough.

NATHAN RODNEY SCHWARTZ. 

